During our youth, crowns symbolized grace, greatness, and of course, beauty. And these were just the plastic Toys "R" Us bargain bin tiaras. As we grew older, we grew wiser, and sadly the crowns that once used to captivate us lost their luster. That is, until we discovered not all crowns are pink and covered in heart-shaped adhesive rubies. Once we realized the prettiest crowns could be crafted from the very hairs on our heads, they immediately regained their significance. Hair guru Jessica Scantlin, who shares our affinity for the regal 'do, helped us create this clean and simple braided crown. And we must say, it's fit for a queen...way better than any Fisher-Price number.

1. Starting just behind one ear, separate a section of hair that you will braid. Leave a 1" section of hair around your hairline. Clip the rest of the hair to keep it out of the way.
2. Begin a Dutch braid (or reverse French braid) starting at the base of the ear. When you first begin the braid, tilt your head to one side to get a better angle.
3. Braid all the way across to the other ear. Use a few bobby pins to pin the braid behind your ear.
4. Unclip the front section of hair. Find your natural part and smooth down each side. Pull remaining hair over to the side where you ended the braid and tie it off in a ponytail.
5. For a sleek finish, tackle flyaways with a small amount of styling cream like Redken Move Ability 05 Lightweight Defining Cream Paste . For a slightly undone feel, add some texturizing powder like and muss up the braid with your fingers.

What do you think of the braided crown? Tell us where you would wear the look in the comments below.

Photos: Joshua M Shelton Photography

Makeup: Jessica Scantlin for Contour Fossa

Model: Amy Halldin